Kudumbasree’s Information Technology units in the district set up more than a decade ago are gradually emerging out of the red thanks to a consortium that canvasses works for these units.
Eight IT units run by Kudumbasree members are active in the district – at Angamaly, Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Mattancherry Kaloor, North Paravur, Tripunithura, and Kalamassery.
Initially, ten units were started but a couple of them closed down since their launch in 2000 because of lack of adequate business. Some members left the units after getting other jobs.
But since then things have been progressing in the right direction following a steady flow of government-related works and computer training programmes conducted on demand by the local bodies. “The high point was the formation of Unnathi IT Consortium, a combine of 62 Kudumbasree IT units across the State, in 2012. Since then we have secured the data entry works related to the caste survey and the World Food Programme-related work to name a few. We are in the process of securing more works, which would be distributed among our units across the State,” Nimmi Jerome, vice-president of the consortium told The Hindu .
The consortium has streamlined the formation of Kudumbasree IT units by putting in place stringent conditions.
Before the formation of the consortium, securing work was the responsibility of individual units. The individual units are now being run by five to six Kudumbasree members and assurance of a reasonable regular income keep them in the business.
Some units have even attached Akshaya centres alongside and that brings in additional work. The staff have been engaged in some units to cope up with the quantum of work and to ensure their regular operation.
Conducting basic IT training at the demand of municipal bodies has proved to be a lucrative affair for these units over the years. There had been instances when 50 and even 100-strong batches were conducted by the units for which they get paid up to Rs.3,000 per candidate, though it is much less compared to prevailing market rates for conducting such courses.
